Photo by Nevil Amos (ARI)
In short
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Brolga in Victoria
Brolga (Grus rubicunda) are a large, iconic bird found only in Australia and New Guinea. They are common in northern Australia but listed as endangered in Victoria under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
Brolga need wetlands for breeding, feeding and roosting. Non-wetland habitat, including dryland areas surrounding wetlands are also important for feeding. The south-west Victorian population is a stronghold in Victoria and has been subject to research in the past. Less is known about Brolgas in northern Victoria.
Key knowledge gaps for brolga include:
- How can we manage wetlands for brolga recovery?
- How do brolga move across Victoria and between wetlands?
- What threats do brolga in Victoria face?
Our research aims to answer these questions and help governments and natural resource managers make informed decisions.
What we are doing
ARI scientists are tracking brolga in Victoria to understand their movement between wetlands, nesting site choices, and their feeding habitat use. Using catching techniques developed in Victoria and GPS tracking, we are providing crucial data for wetland managers and to inform development of guidance to manage development impacts on Brolga.
Our research has already informed management actions to support brolga breeding. Timely information from tracking devices were used to identify a breeding attempt at a wetland. The manager of the wetland, the Goulburn-Broken Catchment Management Authority (GBCMA), then secured an environmental water allocation to prolong inundation (which protects nests from terrestrial predators like foxes). This highlights the importance of real-time data and strong partnerships in protecting threatened species.
Caption: ARI researchers attaching GPS trackers to a brolga. Photo by Nevil Amos (ARI).
Tracking brolga
Brolga are just one of the species being tracked by ARI to inform environmental water delivery and support both native plants and wildlife.
For the first time in northern Victoria (March 2024), ARI captured 5 wild brolga and fitted them with GPS trackers. Four birds are still being tracked, with one bird having removed its transmitter. We have tracked one bird through successful nesting at a wetland managed by the GBCMA. The tracking has also revealed a previously unknown breeding site in northern Victoria.
This tracking program is a partnership and relies on private landholders for access to key locations. To find out more about our research on environmental water in wetlands, visit Assessing wetland response to water for the environment.
You can access our public access brolga tracker at https://arisci.shinyapps.io/brolgaTracker/
Caption: Map of tracked brolga movement.
Mapping suitable breeding habitat
ARI is using expert knowledge, known breeding records, and statistical models to predict suitable brolga breeding habitats across Victoria. Unknown breeding sites are a challenge for conservation managers and policy makers. Many wetlands may be suitable for brolga breeding but are poorly documented. Modelling helps us predict suitable breeding habitat based on remotely-sensed environmental characteristics, even for sites that have not been surveyed, including on private land.
The initial findings of our state-wide modelling identified previously unknown locations of potentially suitable breeding habitat, in addition to documented breeding sites. This research is supporting DEECA in developing guidelines for wind energy facilities to consider brolga impacts and mitigations.
The Brolga Habitat Suitability Model Fact Sheet can be found at Engage Victoria: Managing the biodiversity impacts of renewable energy.
Photo by Dan Purdey.
How you can help
Brolga are loved by many Victorians. Here are a few ways you can support brolga in Victoria:
- If you manage property, help protect and create suitable habitat for brolga. For more information see Herring, M. W. (2018). Brolga Breeding Habitat-A Guide To Managing Wetlands On Your Farm- 2nd Edition 2018.
- Contribute sightings of brolga to citizen science apps like Victorian Biodiversity Atlas, BirdLife Australia’s Birdata, iNaturalist and eBird.
- To report the presence fo significnat numbers of brolga during the 2025 duck season, visit DEECA's Duck season 2025 page.
- If you see banded brolga, please report them to brolga@deeca.vic.gov.au. Include a detailed location and both the colour and position of the two-coloured bands, with a photo where possible (for example, orange above red).
- Stay at a distance from brolga, particularly nesting brolga to avoid disturbing them.
- Where fencing is needed, use wildlife-friendly fencing if possible – avoid the use of barbed-wire.
- If you know of brolga on your property, please get in touch research.ari@deeca.vic.gov.au
Publications and resources
- Sheldon, R. 2005. Breeding and flocking: comparison of seasonal wetland habitat use by the brolga Grus rubicunda in south-western Victoria. Australian Field Ornithology 22: 5–11.
- Veltheim, I., and Sundar, K. S. (2019) Species review: Brolga (Grus rubicunda). Pages 371-381 in Mirande, C. M., Harris, J. T. (Eds). Crane Conservation Strategy, Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA: International Crane Foundation.
- Veltheim, I., Cook, S., Palmer, G. C., Hill, F. A. R. and McCarthy, M. A. (2019). Breeding home range movements of pre-fledged brolga chicks, Antigone rubicunda (Gruidae). Global Ecology and Conservation 20, e00703
- Veltheim, I., Cook, S., McCarthy, M. A., Palmer, G. C., & Hill, F. A. R. (2022). Partial migration of Brolgas (Antigone rubicunda) within a restricted range is revealed by GPS tracking. Emu - Austral Ornithology, 122(1), 39–50.
Page last updated: 14/03/25